When people talk about the Chicago Bears offense, typically the first names to come up are Mitch Trubisky, Tarik Cohen, and Allen Robinson. Lately, it’s been about new running back David Montgomery and the anticipated return of wide receiver Anthony Miller. Not enough people talk about the presence of Taylor Gabriel, the team’s underrated performer.
Gabriel was signed in 2018 and most knew it was primarily for one reason. Speed. Though only 5’8, he is one of the fastest receivers in the NFL. Somebody who could take it over the top of the defense if he doesn’t get proper respect from the opposing secondary. Seven of his catches went for at least 20 yards and four went for over 40. Yet that doesn’t tell the entire story.
Gabriel himself has been adamant to anybody who will listen that he doesn’t get enough respect. It may not always show on the stat sheet, but his presence on the field changes games. Thanks to him, defenses aren’t always able to play aggressive coverages because of the fear of his speed. That makes life easier for teammates.
Taylor Gabriel is more than just a simple deep threat
People always look to the number of long receptions and yards per catch when seeing what they think is a pure deep threat. If they’d bother to gaze a bit deeper, they’d see Gabriel is more than that. For one, he caught 72% of his passes last year. That demonstrates a remarkable consistency in terms of hands. Something his more celebrated teammate Robinson can’t match (58.5%).
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Then there is the unheralded work he did on 3rd down last season. In all, he made 15 catches on the money down for the Bears. No fewer than 11 of them were converted for 1st downs. Not only that, but both touchdowns he scored last year came from inside the red zone, demonstrating that he doesn’t just get his scores from long bombs. He can do most of the things receivers are expected to do.
Gabriel firmly believes the Bears offense will be on another level in 2019. This due to their familiarity in the system under Matt Nagy. If that’s true, then the gates should open to even more big plays for him. Maybe then the wider NFL will provide the respect he deserves.
